Speech from Mr Hans-Gert Poettering,
Chairman of the EPP-ED Group,
in the European Parliament
on Wednesday, 6 February 2002

Preparation of European Council (Seville, 21/22 June 2002), including situation between India and Pakistan



President, President of the Commission, President of Council,

"The Spanish Presidency has so far done an excellent job. But the final verdict will depend on the outcome of the Seville Summit. I would like to emphasise to the President in Office what the President of Parliament has just said, that our Group expects that at Seville a high-level political working group among our three Institutions will be set up to discuss and arrive at results, on the way we can improve our legislation. As the President of the Commission has said by the end of the year 2002 we should have an inter-institutional agreement. Mr Aznar raised this prospect in Parliament, and I would like to ask you urgently to make a decision in Seville on the setting up of this type of political working group. If that happens then our view of the Spanish Presidency will be even more positive than it has been so far.

"As regards reform of the Council, I do understand, President in Office, that you have to be very restrained about this as you don't have a mandate yet to talk about issue. But I can certainly presume that the Spanish Presidency in Office will do everything within its power to see that we obtain a distinction between the Council as a legislative body and its role as an executive body. Where the Council acts as a legislative body we need more transparency. These are our expectations of Seville.

"President in Office, you also said that the President of the Convention, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, will be giving a report. I would be very pleased if all the governments of the Member States of the European Union were to follow this example, so that their representatives in the Convention can also report to the governments of the Member States so that there is a close connection at parliamentary level. For our Group, I don't want to have any shadow of doubt that the debate in the Council today and in Seville must be conducted on the basis of wanting a stronger Community Europe, we want stronger European Institutions. We shouldn't fall back into some sort of vague governmental co-operation. I say that on the background of a visit to the USA in the last few days. Unless we strengthen the European Union, we will lose more and more weight and power in the world. Our objective must be to reinforce a Community Europe.

Colleagues,

"Recognition must be given to the Spanish Presidency for the serious way in which it is tackling terrorism. Our perception in Europe is different from that in the USA. They feel as if they are waiting for a war, because it is the first time they have been attacked on their own soil. That is something that we have to understand. We in Europe must do everything we can to try to dismantle and disrupt the terrorist network. We also have to say that terrorism and the fight against terrorism can not be a reason for violating human rights in Africa or Chechnya or anywhere else. We need a clear distinction between terrorists on the one hand and the Arab and Islam world on the other. It is so important for the European Union to make great efforts to achieve peace in the Middle-East. We have to tell the Israelis that they have a right to live with secure borders, and if anyone attacks these secure borders they will be met with considerable resistance. We also have to tell the Palestinians that they have their right to live within secure borders on the basis of a Palestinian State.

"We welcome your efforts in the fight against terrorism, we welcome your efforts to protect the external borders of the European Union by means of a joint European border police. We hope that this will lead to positive results in Seville.

"We recognise the Spanish efforts made regarding the 6th Framework Research Programme which have been a great success. This will be discussed more intensively this afternoon.

The roadmap will be reinforced and confirmed for the enlargement of the European Union. I can only emphasise what Mr Prodi, President of the Commission, said, that we in the European Parliament, the European Council and the European Commission, as European Institutions must give encouragement to the countries of Eastern Europe to conduct and conclude negotiations on the basis of the acquis communautaire so that we are able to meet the desired results by the deadline. The people of Central Europe who has signed accession agreements, Malta and hopefully also Cyprus will be able to participate in the next European Elections. We in the European Parliament, we in the European People's Party and European Democrats feel that we are defending the people who want to join the European Union, and I would like to urge you to make a contribution, so that we can stick to this timetable."

(Translation from the original German)